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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577898">Willowish</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phie/pseuds/Phie'>Phie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dumbledore is alive, F/F, F/M, Harry is Clueless, Homophobia, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Snape is Alive, Wandless Magic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phie/pseuds/Phie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In order to find a new purpose after the final battle, Willow decides to take the position as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There she finds friendship, enemies, and the possibility to love again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Willow Rosenberg/Ginny Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fanfic.<br/>I already have a plan about the direction this will take but I‘m always open to suggestions.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">A strange old man standing on the front lawn for sure wasn’t what Willow expected to see first thing in the morning. Still, there he was standing, smiling up at her bedroom window on the first floor. She shut her eyes close and slowly opened them again but he hadn’t moved. Except, now he was waving at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2"> <br/></span>
</p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„Giles?“</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Giles was standing in the kitchen, making himself a cup of tea, when he saw Willow‘s puzzled but slightly alarmed look. Without another word she motioned for him to follow her to the front door of the new Watcher‘s Council head quarter. When she opened the door the old man had moved from the lawn to the front porch and greeted her with a friendly: „Good morning Miss Rosenberg! Mister Giles! May I come in?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Willow didn’t know why but somehow she trusted this curious man in his glittering dress. That’s why she stepped aside to grant him access to their home. She even offered him a seat at their kitchen table and asked if he would like a cup of tea. Just to make sure she concentrated a considerate amount of her magic inside of her in order to protect what’s hers from this seemingly nice man.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„Who are you?“ There was no friendliness in her voice when she asked the question. Her skepticism hadn’t left her, no matter how pleasant this strange man appeared to be. He smiled. „My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts - school of witchcraft and wizardry. And I am her to offer you a job.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2"> <br/></span>
</p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Once Dumbledore was gone Willow sunk into the nearest chair and released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. „So... Hogwarts, huh?“ There for sure was a lot she had to process now. „Did you know about all this?“ Giles sat down on the sofa in the living room, polishing his glasses contemplatively. „During my studies I came across some stories about this mystical world right out of a fairytale. A world with a society fully separated from ours, where being magical is the norm and using a wand is the most normal thing in the whole wide world.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„Wait a second! Wands?“ Willow looked at him incredulously. „You are seriously talking about waving a wand to perform magic? You‘re joking, right?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">He gave her a curt nod before he continued: „Up to now I didn’t believe it either. Like I said, I thought they were simply stories. But now... Willow I think he was telling the truth.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„And this whole Hogwarts thing, this school. Why does Dumbledore want me to teach there? I don‘t know anything about their world. I don‘t use a wand to do magic. How am I supposed to teach hordes of students if i don't have the same way of doing magic as them? I for sure don't want to start using some stick to do magic, I like my way. And I have only ever taught computer science for Jenny...“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Willow stopped abruptly. Jenny still was a sore subject around Giles. Still, he only gave her a smile. He hadn’t seen her talk about something so passionately since Tara had died. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„So you‘re thinking about accepting Dumbledore‘s offer?“ He knew the answer to his question even before he had asked it. This job gave Willow the opportunity to get away from Sunnydale for some time - to give her time to think about where to go from now on. Since the grand battle had been won she just hadn’t had a feeling of purpose anymore. Teaching at this school would help with that. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„Maybe?“ Her eyes mirrored the insecurity she felt deep down. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Giles gave her his brightest smile. „ I think you will make a great teacher, Willow. In the last few years you have grown so much and encountered a lot of monsters. Who better to teach a class about this than you? And is using a wand really that important? Magic is magic, right? I know that you can do this. And maybe Dumbledore will allow me to use Hogwarts‘ library from time to time. I’m sure they have an exquisite array of books and scrolls in there.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"><span class="s2">That drained the last bit of tension from the room and put a small smile on Willow‘s face. It was just so </span> <em> <span class="s3">Giles</span> </em> <span class="s2"> to have books and knowledge as an ulterior motive. Encouraged by his words Willow formed a decision: she would become Hogwarts‘ new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher - the best one there ever was. </span></p><p class="p2">
  
</p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">The two things left to do were letting Dumbledore in on her decision, and telling Buffy that she would leave to live on another continent - and Willow dreaded the second. Surprisingly it turned out to be no problem at all. While Buffy seemed sad because her best friend would move away, she also expressed how happy she was for the little redhead more than once. And so August 1st, the day of Willow’s departure, crept closer and closer. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  
</p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">„Write to me every week! Don’t forget it!“ The Scooby Gang was standing at the airport, everyone wanting to say goodbye to Willow one more time. The evening before they had had a farewell party. Giles had cooked some Scottish dish. It was delicious. They had made a fort in front of the TV, watched movies and chatted about all the adventures they had had. And at one point they had fallen asleep on the make-shift beds they had built. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">Now there were only ten minutes left before Willow would have to board the plane to London and tears were flowing freely. Out of all they had gone through this was the hardest. They were a team after all. „I will miss all of you.“ A lump was forming in her throat but Willow knew that it was the right thing to do. She needed this. This was what she wanted. She embraced all of them in a group hug once more before she shouldered her bag and turned around. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s2">While boarding she looked back to see her friends smiling. They were happy for her.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as she saw the castle Willow was thrilled. The grey stone walls and the high towers, it all looked like it was taken out of a fairytale.<br/>
On her way up the path leading to the castle she just couldn’t stop marveling about the beauty it emanated. She couldn’t believe that this would be her new home from now on.</p><p>Dumbledore was waiting for her at the main entrance - a heavy looking wooden door with ornaments gracing both wings. He gave her the same smile she had seen on him one month ago when he first offered her the position as the DADA professor.</p><p>„Miss Rosenberg! It’s so good to see you. Is it okay if I call you Willow? You can call me Albus.“ „Hello Albus. I’m happy to be here.“ She was a bit self-conscious. As beautiful as all of it seemed, it was still unfamiliar terrain she didn’t know much about. „Come in, come in!“</p><p>Willow bent down to grab her luggage when she noticed that her suitcase had disappeared. „Hey!“ She looked around but it had vanished. „Your luggage has been taken up to your room by the house elves. Let’s go to my office, there we can talk about the upcoming year. I’m sure you have some questions that need to be answered.“</p><p>As she followed Dumbledore through a seemingly infinite number of corridors she doubted that she would manage to find her way around the place on her own any time soon.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Dumbledore‘s office wowed her as soon as she set foot into it. There were too many items of which she had no idea what their purpose was.</p><p>Somehow she managed to find her way to the cushioned chairs at one end of the room and took a seat without taking her eyes off all those incredible things. After some time she heard a giggle. It seemed out of place in this overwhelming room so she turned to look for its source, only to find out that it was Dumbledore whose mouth it had escaped from. The old man had a glint of amusement in his eyes as he watched her take everything in.</p><p>Once he had her attention he offered her a cup of tea. Then he started speaking: „I’m happy to welcome you in Hogwarts, Willow. I know it is a lot to take in and I’m sure that you will have a lot of fun figuring out all the secrets the castle has to offer. Am I correct in my assumption that Mr. Giles has explained the basic concept of this school to you?“</p><p>Back to business, Willow thought as she sat up and squared her shoulders. „Yes, he has. I really am impressed. My only concern is how I am supposed to teach students how to defend themselves using a wand if I don’t use one myself.“</p><p>„I was anticipating this question. I have indeed thought about this a lot before deciding to offer you this position but I came to the conclusion that magic is a universal language everybody understands. The movements the children have to perform with their wands are explained in the school books but your knowledge is something only you can offer them. Willow, you have a lot of power. You may not know this but only the most powerful of witches and wizards can perform magic without the help of a wand. That fact alone makes you more than acceptable for this job.“</p><p>The redhead smiled. It was true, she was powerful. And as long as she had Dark Willow under control she really had a lot to tell.</p><p>After a quick glance at the clock behind his desk Dumbledore stood up from his seat. „It is time that I introduce you to your new colleagues. They should already be downstairs at dinner.“</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Strengthened by Dumbledore‘s affirmation of her power she followed him into the great hall. It was mostly empty, except for the large table at the front of the room. Up there almost every seat was occupied and people were talking to each other animatedly.</p><p>„Listen up my dear friends.“ The chatter stopped and now all eyes were trained on Dumbledore and Willow. „As I have already mentioned beforehand, we welcome a new colleague in our midst: Miss Willow Rosenberg. She is from the lovely Sunnydale in California and she will be teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.“</p><p>The reactions at the table couldn’t have been more conflicted. While most of the professors smiled at her or even gave her a small wave, some had their skepticism written clearly on their faces. A tall man with black hair seemed especially appalled by her presence.</p><p>„Albus, are you serious? A little girl? I’m sure there would have been better people for the job.“ Instantly Willow decided that she didn’t like the man. He hadn’t even talked to her yet and still he was sure of her incompetence just because of her age and gender.</p><p>„Severus, trust me. Miss Rosenberg is the best choice for this position.“ Dumbledore smiled an innocent smile at Severus Snape, but that didn’t stop the man‘s displeasure.</p><p>He scowled before he addressed her directly for the first time: „Miss Rosenberg it is? What makes you believe that you can teach our students how to defend themselves when need be? Have you ever even done so yourself?“ He looked her over once more. „Where is your wand?“</p><p>Some teachers had decided to return to their own conversations when Snape first spoke up but that got everyone‘s attention back to them. „I don’t have a wand.“</p><p>Quiet discussions started among the staff as soon as she had made that declaration but it didn’t stop her. She stood up even straighter. „And I do not think it is you who decides who is suitable for the job. I sure have had my share of monsters I had to defeat but that doesn’t concern you.“</p><p>Dumbledore just stood there smiling, a mischievous glint forming in his eyes. „I want proof“, was all Snape said.</p><p>With that he stood up from his seat and rounded the table until he was standing right in front of Willow. „Where have you studied magic?“ „Nowhere.“ Snapes voice was rising and incredulous looks were exchanged. „How long have you been practicing magic then?“ „Hm. Let me think. Seven years ago I first learned about it I think.“</p><p>It took every inkling of patience for Willow to stay calm and collected. Now wasn’t the right time for Dark Willow to make an appearance, but she didn’t understand why the man treated her like one of his students.</p><p>Next, Snape addressed the headmaster: „Dumbledore, you can’t be serious.“ Without losing his smile he answered: „If you don’t believe my judgement why don’t you assure yourself? Willow, do you mind a friendly duel between teachers?“</p><p>Willow knew that she had to stand her ground in front of this snarky man if she wanted to gain the respect of her colleagues so she just nodded grimly.</p><p>With a flick of his wand Dumbledore conjured a long stage that looked similar to a fashion runway into the middle aisle of the great hall. He motioned Willow to go up and so she did.</p><p>Suddenly she felt unsure - not of her powers but because she didn’t know what to do. After all, she had never dueled another wizard before in her life. She watched the slender dark haired man join her on the stage and take stance and focused on the magic she felt all around her, not knowing what would happen next.</p><p>In the blink of an eye he had drawn his wand and exclaimed an unfamiliar spell. A blue light was flashing towards her. She had barely enough time to jump out of the way, the spell tearing the shirt she had on.</p><p>Snape scowled. He had anticipated for her to defend herself and not just jump out of the way like the little girl she seemed to be.</p><p>The man sent some more spells her way but Willow had gotten the hang of it. She drew up a shield around her, the spells bouncing off it like rubber balls. And with every time she defended herself Snape became angrier and more furious.</p><p>Willow on the other hand started to enjoy the whole spectacle. She liked to be able to use her power again and was fascinated by all the different ways the wizard opposite of her tried to take her down. She tried to remember as many spells as she could, so she could do some research on them when she got to her room.</p><p>Still, at some point she decided that enough was enough and with a simple wave of her hand she forced her opponent‘s wand out of his hand and into hers.</p><p>She smiled a triumphant smile and approached him, his wand still in her hand. Once close enough he ripped his wand out of her hand, turned around and left through a small door next to the teachers‘ table, his cloak billowing angrily.</p><p>After the door was closed behind him there was nothing but silence. „Does anybody else doubt my decision to employ Miss Rosenberg?“ No answer could be heard. Everybody was still shocked because of what they had just witnessed.</p><p>„Good. Then let‘s eat, I’m starving.“</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Willow thought that the rest of the meal was rather pleasant. There was light chatter and nobody else seemed to doubt her abilities anymore.</p><p>However, this display of power had made the other professors a bit vary as to how to behave around her and so everything seemed a bit stiff and formal.</p><p>That is, until a brown haired woman who appeared to be roughly her age approached her. „Don’t worry, they will warm up to you.“ She gave a compassionate smile. „I’m Hermione Granger by the way. I teach History of Magic but I‘m currently trying to get the school board to implement lessons on muggle culture as well.“</p><p>Willow gave her a confused look. „Muggles?“</p><p>Hermione seemed to remember something. „Oh right, you don‘t know much about this world, huh? Muggles are humans without the ability to do magic. Don‘t worry, you’ll learn all those things as you go. My parents are muggles, dentists to be precise, and all this was new to me at some point too. If you have any questions don‘t be shy to ask. I’m happy to help.“</p><p>Willow was relieved to have found someone who understood what she was going through and was willing to answer all her questions. And that‘s what she did for the rest of dinner: she asked every question that came to her mind and Hermione answered every single one of them - even adding some extra information that she thought could be useful.</p><p>„Do you have all the things you need for the following year? Books? Robes?“ The redhead frowned. „Nope. I didn’t really know where to get them.“</p><p>Hermione‘s smile brightened immediately. „Good. I’m meeting my friends in Diagon Alley tomorrow and you’ll join us. You’ll be able to get everything there and I‘ll be able to answer any more questions.“ It seemed that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. But honestly, Willow didn’t want to say no anyway.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>That night Willow lay in her new bed in her new room thinking about all the new things she had learned in the last 24 hours. So far she really enjoyed this school and she wanted to make sure that it stayed that way.</p><p>She couldn’t wait to meet some more people the next day. And with this thought in her head she drifted off to sleep, never stopping smiling.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m not quite sure yet how confident I want Willow to be in her powers, so it was hard for me to write the dueling scene. I don’t want her to seem too overconfident.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Friendships</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for leaving comments. If you have any ideas or questions, or notice some language mistakes or irregularities in the plot please leave a comment. I‘m happy about constructive criticism.</p><p>Right now I have some more chapters rewritten so there won‘t be much of a wait between uploads but once I‘ve posted all of them I can‘t guarantee that there won‘t be longer waits.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">Hey guys,</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">How are you? How is the watchers council doing? </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">I‘ve just arrived and oh my god! The whole school is a castle! And everything around here is infused with magic. I can literally feel all things around me vibrate with the power they hold. It almost feels like when the Hellhole was still open, only more pure and light. The only huge con is that there is no electricity - so neither my computer nor mobile phone work. So we‘ll have to stick to writing letters the old fashioned way. I‘m just curious to see if the owl will be able to find you and deliver this letter.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Dumbledore hadn’t told the other professors anything about me so lets say they were a little surprised, especially one guy, Severus Snape (the potions professor), who instantly challenged me to a duel in front of all our colleagues. Seems that he didn’t believe in my abilities. Now he does. Apparently I now have got the respect of my colleagues. Doesn’t it seem weird to think of me as a professor?</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Anyway, I have to go now. Hermione, the History of Magic professor, is taking me to Diagon Alley to get some stuff I‘ll need and introduce me to her friends. So fingers crossed that I‘ll make some friends soon.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">I miss you already</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Willow</span> </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">When Hermione had told her that they would go to Diagon Alley Willow had had no idea what to expect. She had never even heard about the place. So when they arrived there she was flooded with new impressions at every corner. People were rushing past, wearing long robes and some even pointy hats, there were stores praising wands and robes and a variety of animals. She even spotted a shop selling brooms. This would become her new world now, and she knew that she would enjoy it tremendously. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Their first stop was Madame Malkin‘s robe shop. Hermione had told her the previous evening that it was mandatory for all teachers to wear robes during the day. Willow didn’t like the thought of trading in her jeans and T-shirts for long stuffy robes but since it was school policy there wasn’t much she could do about it. Madame Malkin seemed to notice her discomfort and somehow came up with a compromise both parties would be happy with. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Now Willows was the proud owner of five new everyday robes in black, sapphire green, midnight blue, light grey, and blood red. They all looked like traditional robes had been molded together with Willow’s normal outfits and created a totally new style. Additionally she had gotten one traditional more formal one in a dark piercing green that accented her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">They had been in the store for some time so when they stepped back onto the street it had already darkened. Hermione gave her a rushed look. „Oh crap, we’re late!“ She grabbed Willow at her sleeve and pulled her down the alley with her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">They approached what seemed to be an old pub. The walls were dirty and several cracks in the walls made up a pattern that was similar to a huge cobweb. An old sign was hanging over the muddy door with the words „Leaky Cauldron“ written on it. How fitting, Willow thought. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Inside were a lot of people, all dressed in robes, occupying every stool and bench. They were chatting animatedly with each other and holding on to their beverages but Willow couldn’t make out a single word they were saying. But she didn’t have much time to look around anyway because she had to keep up with Hermione who navigated through the masses like she did it all the time. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Finally, they came to a halt in front of a small wooden table where two young men were sitting - a tall redhead with freckles on his cheeks and a slightly smaller man with black hair and piercing green eyes. Both were smiling bright smiles as soon as they saw their friend. „Hermione! What took you so long? We’ve been waiting for an hour.“, the redhead exclaimed. Hermione returned an apologetic smile. „Sorry. We were held up at Madame Malkin‘s.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">At those words the men‘s attention shifted to the redhead standing next to their friend. The dark haired man gave her an open smile while the other one mustered her curiously. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Hi, I’m Willow. I‘ll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts this year.“ She held her hand out for them to shake. When she mentioned which subject she was going to teach both men shared a look of disbelieve and worry. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow made a mental note to ask Hermione about it once they were back at Hogwarts. For now she would just let it slide. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So, those are my friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They went to Hogwarts with me.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Harry Potter. Willow had read about him while doing some research. He was the one defeating this bad guy, Lord Voldemort. She couldn’t wait talking to him. He must have some cool stories to tell. Maybe they could talk about their experiences with defeating the biggest evils there ever was. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I‘ll get something to drink for you two.“ Before Willow could object Harry had already disappeared within the masses. Normally she didn’t like it when people went out of their way to get something for her, but looking at the huge amount of people occupying the pub she didn’t mind at all. She would have to prove her independence and ability to do things herself another time. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So you’ll be teaching DADA this year? Aren’t you a bit young?“ Ron looked at her with doubt written on his face. It was the same look she had gotten when Dumbledore had announced his choice for the job to her new colleagues in the Great Hall. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Believe me if I say that Willow is more than qualified for this job.“ Hermione smiled mischievously, clearly thinking back to when Willow had shown Snape how capable she really was. Ron being confused was an understatement. What did Hermione know about this stranger? He made it his subjective to find out more. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Suddenly two glasses appeared in front of the girls and Harry took his seat. „Here you go. Two Butterbeers for the ladies.“ Willow scrunched up her nose when Harry told her what he had ordered for her. Butter and beer for sure didn’t go together well. However, she was determined to at least try this strange concoction to not insult Harry, who had gone out of his way so she could have it. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Slowly she guided the full glass up to her mouth and took a probing sip, and then another. To her surprise the ingredients actually went together perfectly, creating a flavor that exploded in her mouth. She hummed a short sound of appreciation. Willow was relieved when her companions hadn’t heard her make that noise - that would have been really embarrassing. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">In the meantime Hermione and her two friends had gotten into a discussion about some topic she knew nothing about. This gave her the opportunity to take a closer look at her surrounding. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The cracks she had noticed on the walls outside seemed to reach through to the inside, creating a similar pattern. Like in the Great Hall the light was provided by floating candles placed right above the tables that were scattered across the room. The tables itself were made out of wood but had become shabby and old. They had knicks and knacks and some seemed to have been repaired several times. Still they didn’t budge under the weight of all the glasses that were placed on them. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Somehow Willow felt like those tables. She had shattered into lots of tiny pieces when Tara died but her friends had taken the time to rebuilt her and gave her the strength to go on. She missed her friends a lot and made sure to write them a letter as soon as she was back in the castle she now called home.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She was ripped out of her thoughts when some touched her forearm. Immediately she gathered her magic, in order to strike should need be. „Willow? Is everything alright?“ Harry removed his hand from her arm, concern written on his face. He didn’t even know her an hour ago and still it seemed that he somehow cared about har wellbeing. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about my family back home.“ She pushed the feeling of homesickness away and concentrated on the here and now. „So where is back home? You’re from the US, right?“ Harry seemed truly interested, and even Ron and Hermione had stopped their chitchat in order to find out more about the new DADA teacher. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow didn’t mind their curiosity, she would have been too if suddenly some powerful witch had shown up in Sunnydale. „Yeah. I‘m From Sunnydale, a city a couple miles away from L.A. I’ve lived there all my life, so this is basically the first time away from home.“ Now the homesickness started to kick in again. When would she be able to see her huge and unusual family again? </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">This time Ron was the one getting her attention. „So what’s the Wizarding world like in the US?“ It seemed that nobody had told them about her past. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Well, actually... I didn’t know about the wizarding world before Dumbledore showed up in my front lawn a few months ago. This all is quite new to me.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ron‘s eyes grew wide. „How did you get this job if you didn’t even know about the wizarding world? How do you want to teach all those students if you haven’t got the slightest clue about the world we live in? Have you ever even fought an evil creature before?“ His words were sharp and no longer sounded friendly. He seemed to be quite upset and Willow could understand why. Still, his angry voice struck something in her that made her pull up her defenses. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„You don‘t know anything about me. Not about my life nor my friends and family. And for sure you don‘t have a fucking clue about what kind of monsters I have battled up to now!“ Her voice had gotten louder but not loud enough for others to turn around and listen in. The three sitting at her table however looked at her with a mix of surprise and horror. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. The last thing she needed right now was to go all Dark Willow on them. She was here to make friends, not to scare everyone away as soon as they said something she didn’t like. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Once she had her emotions under control again she gave her companions a shy smile. „Sorry. I guess you just struck a nerve.“ The three still gaped at her. Hermione was the first to speak: „Y-your eyes. They were... black!“ Oops, Willow thought. That for sure hadn’t been intended but at least she hadn’t done anything stupid. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Oh, yeah. That sometimes happens but as long as it‘s only my eyes there’s nothing you have to worry about. Once my hair turns black too you should better run.“ A sly smirk was turning the corners of her mouth upwards. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She took a big gulp of her butterbeer while she waited for the others to come to their senses. Harry was the first one to move again when he took up his glass and sipped on something that looked suspiciously similar to Jack Daniels. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I believe you need to tell us some more about you.“ He leaned back in his seat, his green eyes focused on hers. Willow took one more sip of her drink before she started explaining.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„And that’s how we defeated the First and blew up Sunnydale at the same time.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow had taken the time to explain everything that the Scooby Gang had been through, only leaving out Tara. Talking about her dead girlfriend still pained her too much. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Harry, Ron and Hermione had listened to the whole story without interrupting her. They had hung on her every word, reacting with looks of terror when somebody had died and smiled when Willow told them about something goofy Xander had done. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She felt relieved once she was finished. Relieved to have told some outsider about all this. Relieved to finally say all those words she had only thought before. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She looked around the room and suddenly became aware of the fact that they were the only ones left. Everybody else must have gone home. A quick glance out of a small crooked window confirmed her suspicion - it was pitch black outside. Who knew how late it must have been. She looked back at her companions but they were still frozen in place, obviously trying to deal with what she had just told them. Their lack of movement started to worry her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Are you alright?“ She no longer sounded as confident as she had done just moments ago when she had told them about her life. Harry moved. He closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. And then he looked at her with an amount of compassion she hadn’t expected from someone she had only just met a few hours ago. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Wow. You sure went through a lot. I think there are no doubts left as to why Dumbledore hired you.“ He smirked at her. The other two were coming back to life too and Ron‘s eyes widened as realization struck him. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Wait a second! You can cast spells without using a wand?“ Willow‘s confidence returned. This was something she was good in. And she for sure didn’t mind showing off. With a wink of her hand a flower started growing out of the old wooden table in front of them. She shrugged nonchalantly. „Yeah I can.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ron‘s mouth fell wide open. „Ron. Harry. It was really nice meeting you but I‘m really tired. I think I’ll go back to the castle.“ Hermione was starting to get up in order to accompany her but Willow shook her head smiling. „I don‘t want to break up your get together. I‘ll find my way back, Hermione. Don’t worry. You three have a nice evening. See ya.“ With those words Willow turned around and exited the pub. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">On her way out she paid for all the drinks they had consumed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this was a longer chapter and I really enjoyed writing it. Hope you like it as much as I do.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tranquility</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Hey guys,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">I think that I’ve met some nice people - Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione is teaching at Hogwarts too and is showing me around until i get the hang of everything. I think I‘ve told you about her in my last letter. Most of the other professors are quite nice too. The one creepy guy I duelled, Severus Snape, hasn’t come up to me again. But it seems that I‘ve gained his respect. At least he’s only glaring at me from afar and hasn’t picked another fight. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">I hope everything is fine at home. How are you guys anyway? I miss hearing your voices and having movie nights.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">I love you guys,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">Willow</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Willow sighed as she put the black quill down. It was evening and she was sitting in her new room, staring at the piece of parchment in front of her. The curtains were open and a full moon was hanging in the pitch black sky above Scotland. A candle added some to the moonlight and the flame dancing in the fireplace made the room feel warm and cozy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">So this was going to be her life from now on. It wasn’t bad. She had her own big bedroom and bathroom and an office that was connected to her private chambers. She had her peace and quiet and until the beginning of the school year she also had enough free time to get bored once in a while. And exactly that was the problem. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">She hadn’t been bored once in the last seven years. She had always needed to help fight vampires and other evil. And once that had calmed down she actively helped in creating the new Watchers Council. Doing nothing just felt so wrong. She desperately needed something to help her pass time.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">With a loud </span>
  <span class="s1">whoosh </span>
  <span class="s2">the flame in the fireplaces changed from red to green, and then back again. Her instincts kicked in, jumping up and getting in position to fight who or whatever was coming for her. But nothing happened. The fire was dancing in the fireplace once again. Well, that was strange. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Just in that moment she heard a noise, like a person clearing their throat, followed by a familiar voice: „Hello? Willow? You there?“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Willow slowly approached the fire, still ready to attack any minute but that didn’t stop her surprise when she found Harry‘s face looking up at her from the fire. „Harry? What are you doing in my fire place?“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">He must have seen the suspicion in her eyes because he sent her an amused smirk before starting to talk again. „Oh, right, you don’t know about that. Can I come through? It’s easier to explain things when you’re not kneeing on the floor with your head held into a fireplace.“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Willow didn’t know what to make of his words but since it seemed no harm in granting him his wish she agreed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">„Just take a step back, okay?“ With this Harry‘s head disappeared from the flames and a second later he walked right out of them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">It took all her willpower not to gape at Harry for what he had just done but Willow didn’t want him to see how amazed she was. All the wile Harry was standing in the middle of Willow‘s office, glancing around the room in search for anything that would tell him more about the woman. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">„So, wanna sit down and explain what just happened? Because I for sure would like to know.“ She smiled at him before turning around and steering towards her liquor cabinet. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">It was one of the first things she had discovered when she first inspected her room and she wouldn’t say no to a drink right now. „Do you want something?“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">When she looked over her shoulder she found that Harry had sat down in one of the comfy chairs in front of the fire place and was mustering her with a smile. „I‘ll take whatever you’re having.“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Silence filled the room while Willow was getting their drinks ready. She noticed that it wasn’t the awkward kind of silence you share with people you don’t know but rather the mutual understanding that not every moment has to be filled with empty phrases you share with an old friend. In this moment Willow knew that Harry and her could become great friends. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">She sat down in the chair next to Harry and handed him his drink. „So, about this fire stunt you just pulled. Care to enlighten me?“ He took a sip of his drink before he looked at her again, smiling. „Alright. I think we’ll have a lot to talk about.“ He set the glass down on the small table in front of him and started talking.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">The moon was long gone when they finally said their goodbyes and Harry vanished in the fireplace - but this time Willow knew that all he did was floo back home, wherever that was. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">All at once she noticed how exhausted she actually was and so she dragged herself to bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">The next few days Harry and her met more than once, chatting about their past adventures and their family life. Willow enjoyed talking to somebody outside of her very big family back home about all her adventures, without having to deal with disbelieve and laughter. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Harry listened to Willow’s animated explanations of all the adventures she and her friends had survived this far with a hint of excitement in his eyes. It seemed that he was hungry for the next adventure that he could be part of. He hung on her every word and couldn’t stop staring at her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">But it would have been a lie to say that Willow wasn’t enthralled by his stories just the same. However, every story Harry told had to be followed by an explanation as to what he was talking about because most of the spells or creatures he mentioned were unknown to Willow.</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Most of the times they met in Willow’s room, which quickly decimated her liquor cabinet to a remaining two bottles of whose origin Willow wasn’t quite sure of. And because of that Harry brought two bottles of firewhiskey with him the next time he visited. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Willow was already used to the cracking sound of her fireplace, followed by the green flame, announcing her guest‘s arrival. She had had a long day reading up on dark magic and spells she could teach her students that would actually come in handy at some point in their life, so a nice chatty evening was just what she needed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">She had already taken out two glasses and was eyeing the two remaining bottles of unidentifiable liquor when Harry stepped out of the fireplace and onto her carped. „What do you think? Should we find out what the blue one does? Or would you rather be killed by the orange one?“ The sentence had been intended as a joke but she wasn’t so sure if it was that far from the truth. Maybe they should just abstain from drinking this evening. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Harry cleared his throat so Willow would turn around and face him. „Or maybe we could just drink this?“ He was beaming at her, a bottle of very expensive looking fire whiskey in both hands. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">„You don‘t know how much I need this right now“, Willow groaned. As much as she enjoyed reading up on things and learning something new, there was just no more space for any spell of any kind in her head anymore. She held out both glasses so Harry could pour the dark liquid into them. All she needed now was to relax. They both sunk into the cushioned seats in front of the fireplace, watching the flame dance in front of them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Willow enjoyed the fact that they could share silent moments as much as all the stories they told. Living here probably wouldn’t be that bad, especially with a friend like Harry around.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Cursed?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here‘s the next chapter. I revised it again before posting it. I hope you like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hey guys,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">how are you? Some new evil threatening to kill the human race? It’s really boring over here. Not a single monster to slay. Not even the tiniest of vampires. It feels strange to be so safe. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Giles, I‘ll send you some of the school books I‘m currently studying. They describe so many creatures the council had no clue about. Or at least no records. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Sorry I can‘t writing more but I have to go. I‘m meeting Harry and the others.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Love you. And miss you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Willow</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow was standing in front of her closet, looking at the not so small amount of robes in different colors hanging in there. She still hadn’t gotten the hang of the dresscode in the wizarding world. She would have appreciated being able to wear jeans and shirts but that apparently wasn’t what she was supposed to do as a teacher at a renown wizarding school. At least Madam Malkins had been kind enough to tailor them to her wishes, making them more comfy and „normal“ looking - whatever that meant.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">So now she was standing there, no idea what to put on, and having to leave in thirty minutes to meet Harry and the others in Hogsmeade. Apparently it was a small village not far from Hogwarts that she should know. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She took another look through all her robes and sighed. She hoped that she would get used to these sooner rather than later. She needed another ten minutes to figure out what to wear and soon she was on her way. She would meet Hermione in a pub called </span>
  <span class="s2">The Hogshead </span>
  <span class="s3">together with the others, so she had to find her way on her own. However, that turned out to be quite simple, since she only had to follow the road down the hill. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She enjoyed having this time to herself. She had put in some intense study sessions to get all the spells and creatures right so she wouldn’t make mistakes in her first week of teaching. As a part of the new watchers council she had missed all this research she had to do. It gave her brain something to do except thinking about the losses she‘d had to endure over the last years.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She watched the butterflies flutter above the few flowers she could spot, and enjoyed the sun that shone down onto her face while the houses of Hogsmeade came closer and closer. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The Hogshead wasn’t hard to find and soon she was engulfed by the smell of butterbeer and fire whiskey. Her friends weren’t hard to spot since there wasn’t much going on on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. They were currently involved in their chatter so Willow didn’t want to interrupt and decided to step back and wait until they were finished. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Still, she couldn’t stop herself from eavesdropping. „...think she really likes me. I mean, she just gets me.“ Willow arched an eyebrow. Was there somebody in Harry‘s life he hadn’t told her about? „We instantly clicked the first time we met.“ „But are you sure mate?“ Ron seemed a bit concerned. „She strikes me as a bit odd. Maybe you should have tried it with Ginny one more time.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Now Willow was really curious who they were talking about. In her opinion, somebody odd would fit Harry just right, and she hoped that the person would turn out to be nice. Hopefully she would meet her at some point in the future. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">At that moment somebody bumped into her. „Sorry.“ Willow turned around and found herself faced with a lot of red hair. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The person who had run into her was lying on the floor and scrambling to get up again. Willow smiled. „Here, let me give you a hand“, she offered and pulled them up to their feet. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Once standing, the sea of read hair turned out to be a cute young woman with a bunch of freckles on her face, who was blushing furiously. „I‘m really sorry. I must have not seen you when I came in.“ She gave her a shy smile which Willow returned. „No problem at all. I‘m Willow, by the way.“ She tried to make the other red head feel less guilty for running into her, and gave her the brightest smile she could muster. To be fair, the woman in front of her wasn’t bad looking so it turned out to not be that hard. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">However, the younger woman‘s eyes didn’t stop darting around the room. „I‘m sorry but I’m late.“ With a last glance at Willow and an apologetic smile she turned away and ran past her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Huh.“ Willow wasn’t quite sure what to make of that strange encounter. Whatever, for now she would put it to the back of her mind and enjoy the day with her new friends. She turned around, ready to join them when she halted mid step. Next to Hermione was now sitting the same red head that had run into her only seconds before. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Hey guys!“ Willow gave them her brightest smile, pausing an extra second to muster her previous encounter. She yanked her gaze away and sat down next to Harry, who had apparently reserved a seat for her. He gave her a quick hug and gestured towards the young woman. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I don‘t think you’ve met. This is Ginny, Ron‘s younger sister“, Harry introduced them. Willow grinned. „Willow, right?“ Ginny returned a shy smile, her face half covered by her hair. Harry‘s face turned into an expression of confusion. „So you know each other?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Before Willow could say something Ginny spoke up. „Oh no, I accidentally ran into her on my way in and almost knocked her over. Sorry again by the way.“ The last words were directed at Willow who was absentmindedly gazing at Ginny. Something about her just made Willow feel warm and homey. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Hermione cleared her throat, which brought Willow back to them. „Willow is the new DADA professor at Hogwarts. You should see her do magic.“ Willow’s cheeks started burning. Normally she wasn’t shy or easily flustered by praise but whatever it was about the woman, it just changed something in her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„You think you’re up for the cursed position?“ „Cursed?“ Willow’s focus suddenly shifted and she was wide awake and attentive. That was the first time she heard about about this. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Yeah, every professor who has taught the class left after one year. Some died, others were hurt, and who knows what’s happened to the rest.“ Ginny was absentmindedly twirling a strand of her red hair between her fingers while elaborating on some specific cases. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">After she finished Willow was a little baffled. „Cursed, huh?“ She didn’t know what to do with this new information. Dumbledore for sure hadn’t told her anything about that. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.“ Ginny gave her an apologetic look, obviously having noticed Willow’s worried expression. The new teacher contemplated a bit more before she shrugged. „I bet I’ve faced worse already. Whatever the curse might be, let it come straight for me.“ Everyone except Harry, who had already heard his fair share about Willow‘s previous adventures, stared at her, mouths agape. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow took this opportunity to wave the barman, who she later found out was called Aberforth, over to order herself a glass of butterbeer. As much as she liked drinking with Harry in the evening, she was a bit concerned that she was slowly but surely turning into an alcoholic if she didn’t slow down a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">By the time her drink arrived the group had recovered and Harry had started a discussion with Ron about some Quidditch team they were both rooting for. Hermione was trying to contribute to the conversation. She had told Willow a few days ago that she had taken some interest in the game only recently and was still trying to understand it in all its complexity. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">That left Ginny and Willow, who smiled at each other uncertainly. Willow hadn’t heard of Quidditch until a few days ago, and Ginny seemed to not be that interested in talking about it at the moment either. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Wanting to break the awkward silence, Willow took her beverage, stood up and went around the table to sit on the only other free seat - right next to Ginny. „Hey there.“ Ginny winked at her and shuffled her seat so that Willow would have more space. „So, DADA, huh? You sure you’re up for that?“ Concern for Willow showed up on Ginny‘s face. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow was surprised that this woman, who she had met only half an hour before, seemed to already care about her so much that she was afraid of what might happen to her. „Yeah, let‘s see what happens. I‘ll make sure to let you know when I wake up one morning and find myself to be cursed. Even though I‘m not sure what you could do about it.“ That forced a quiet giggle out of Willow‘s counterpart. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Well, it’s good that I‘m an auror then.“ Willow had heard that word once before, probably during one of the evenings she‘d spent chatting and drinking with Harry, but she just couldn’t place it. „What’s an auror again?“ An apologetic smile formed on her lips. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny raised her eyebrows in surprise before she started her short explanation: „An auror is... You’re from the muggle world I take?“ A short nod from Willow. „It’s like... the police of the wizarding world you could say. If muggles could break curses.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">It dawned on Willow when she had heard the word before. „ So you work with Harry?“ Ginny looked up in surprise. „So you do know something about us after all. The thing with Harry, however, is a bit more complicated. We used to work in the same department but I transferred a few years ago.“ The tone her words carried made sure Willow knew not to press on the topic of </span>
  <span class="s2">Harry</span>
  <span class="s3">. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So what department are you in now?“ „I‘m part of the Department of Mysteries.“ A short silence followed, neither of them sure how to continue their conversation. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Suddenly Ginny got a glint in her eyes Willow couldn’t quite figure out. „You know Harry is glancing over at you rather often, right?“ She wriggled her eyebrows playfully making Willow laugh at her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„No, we‘re just friends. But I know that he indeed has somebody he is after. Just don‘t know who - yet,“ she said, remembering the conversation between Harry, Ron and Hermione she had overheard just before Ginny had bumped into her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I really hope Harry has found somebody.“ Ginny glanced at the dark-haired man at their table, a sad look on her face. Harry was obviously a tricky topic for her so Willow tried to stir the conversation into a different direction. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So, how exactly does this curse on my job work? Is there something I should look out for? Poltergeists? Werewolfs? Flying knifes coming my way? Or beautiful women trying to lure me into sudden death by drowning me in the lake?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny seemed to contemplate what she had just been told before, putting on her best „thinking face“ before answering. „Well, I‘m not sure about the women but the other things I‘m pretty sure don‘t pose any danger. One year the DADA professor even was a werewolf himself. And Peeves, the school‘s poltergeist, hasn’t cost any professor their job yet.“ She playfully nudged Willow‘s knee with her own which was rewarded with a shy grin.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always I‘d love to know what you think, so please leave a comment.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A Date?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">Hey guys,</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">I think I might have met someone I like. Though I‘m not sure if she likes women. Her name‘s Ginny and she has even redder hair than me. Remember Ron? I told you about him in on of my previous letters. She‘s his little sister. She actually bumped into me, which, in retrospect, sounds like the lovestory in a bad romcom. But there seems to be some complicated past between her and Harry. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">I‘m still not used to wearing robes, they are so puffy and long, though I’m glad that mine look more like pant suits with a long cloak attached to them. So that’s not too bad. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Other than that there’s not much new here in Scotland. What’s up in Sunnydale? Any more vampires to kill? A new bad witch on the loose?</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Love u</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Willow</span> </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow really hoped that they hadn’t found some other witch to replace her. It was bad enough that they were so far away and that she missed them. She didn’t need some stranger to fill her spot with her friends. She didn’t let herself spin this thought any further and instead grabbed another piece of parchment. She dipped her new quill into the ink again and started writing a short note:</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">Wanna meet up this week? I did wake up without being cursed but maybe you should take a closer look. Just to be sure.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s2">-Willow</span> </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She hesitated. Was it too flirty and straightforward? No, best to get it all out there so she knew where they stood. She didn’t want to get her hopes up any further when there was nothing there to hope for. Before she could overthink her decision she put both letters in envelopes and put the address on the one for her friends. She didn’t know where Ginny lived so she just had to hope that the owl would find its way on its own. She pushed her chair back, stood up and quickly made her way up to the owlery. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Once again she was struggling with her wardrobe. Normally she didn’t make such a fuss over her appearance but today was different. She was going out to meet Ginny again. Alone, without the others chatting about quidditch next to them. She wasn’t quite sure if this would count as an actual date but she hoped for it. They would meet up in Diagon Alley, at Fortescue‘s, and chat while enjoying some ice cream. But what do you wear to a potential date with a sweet redhead at an ice cream parlor in the wizarding world? She was absolutely clueless. A quick glance at her watch showed her that she would have to leave in ten minutes. She rummaged through her closet for the eighth time. In the end she opted for her favorite green robes with a matching jacket and shoes in a dark brown.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">It was a nice late summer day outside. The sky was blue and it was neither too warm nor too cold. The feeling of the sun shining on her face kept her calm as she was walking down Diagon Alley. Or at least calmer than she would have been, if the day had turned out to be cloudy and grey. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">As she came closer to Fortescue‘s ice cream parlor Willow could already make out a patch of shining red hair. The sight of it made her feel a bit lightheaded and her nerves started to kick in. What if Ginny wasn’t interested in her the way Willow wanted her to be? What if Ginny would be disgusted by the thought of going out with a woman? What if... Willow shook her head, squared her shoulders and made a beeline for her (hopefully) date. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny hadn’t seen her yet so Willow had some more time to take a closer look at the other woman. She was sitting at a table right outside of the parlor. Her eyes were closed as she was enjoying the sun on her face. Just like Willow had bare moments before. Willow shook herself out of her trance and took the last steps until she was finally standing in front of her date. She cleared her throat. „Is this seat taken?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny didn’t seem surprised by the sudden intrusion and just smiled while opening her eyes. „I think it is now.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow had thought that maybe it would be a bit weird in the beginning. After all she wasn’t sure how Ginny felt. But they started talking right away, as if they had never done anything else. They basically talked about the same things Willow and Harry talked about when they shared a drink but somehow this felt more intimate to Willow. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">By the time the sun had started to set they were still chatting, neither of them wanting to go home just yet. The crowd on the street had thinned out and now there were only a handful of people strolling through Diagon Alley. The two redheads had stopped talking and started watching the few people passing by. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„You know, it‘s really easy to talk to you“, Ginny broke the silence. Willow glanced at her but the other woman hadn’t stopped watching the street. So she waited if there would be more to come. Somehow this moment seemed special to Willow. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">After some time Ginny continued: „Sometimes it‘s hard to talk to my friends. Especially the golden trio. Harry, Hermione and Ron have always been like a brick wall that no one can destroy. And I think I never quite fit in. But with you I feel different.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">This time she turned her head to look at Willow. Her eyes didn’t look bitter or sad like Willow might have thought they would but just kind and relieved. Relieved that she had finally found someone she could talk to. Willow gave her a smile. „I like talking to you too.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">At this moment a cool breeze caught up with them. This was the first time Willow was actually glad to have robes since they kept the wind out and the warmth in. Ginny however seemed to have less luck with her robes. They appeared to be thinner than hers and did not manage to protect her from the wind very well. She wrapped her robes tightly around herself but still couldn’t suppress a shudder. She gave Willow a vary smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I think we should go. What good is it to me to have someone to check me for the terrible curses of a DADA teacher when they are frozen solid? I‘ll just go in and pay and then we can go.“ Not waiting for a reply she turned on her heel and went inside. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">When she came back out Ginny was waiting for her. She was no longer sitting at the table but standing in front of the entrance to Fortescue‘s. She was smiling warily at Willow as the teacher to be stepped out of the parlor and onto the alley. „So what now?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">To be honest, Willow had no idea what to do now. There had been a lot of flirting involved in the last few hours but she had learned long ago that that didn’t have to mean anything with straight women. Ginny shuddered as the wind picked up once again. „I think I should get you home. You are freezing.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny gave her a relieved grin. It seemed that she had already thought about going home but at the same time didn’t want their date, Willow really hoped that it was a date, to end. „That would be nice.“ Willow looked up and down the alley. „So in which direction do we go?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Ginny grabbed her hand and started leading her down the road. It didn’t take long for Willow to fall in step with her but neither woman deemed it necessary to disentangle their fingers. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">A content silence enveloped them while they strolled towards Ginny‘s home, neither wanting to break it. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">After ten minutes of just enjoying the other‘s company Ginny spoke up. „This is a date, right?“ Willow eyed her with wide eyes, relived that she hadn’t just imagined things, and noticed the bright blush that had crept on Ginny‘s face. She couldn’t keep herself from smiling. „I would really like it to be. If you want it to be one.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Relief crossed Ginny‘s face and her body seemed to relax. She gave Willow‘s hand a quick squeeze. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow bit down on her lip. „I really like spending time with you.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Now Ginny turned her head, beaming up at her, a smile plastered on her lips. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Me too.“ They had gotten to a stop in front of an apartment complex in a small road leading away from Diagon Alley. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow was certainly feeling insecure. Yes, they had established that this was a date but what now? It had been a long time since she had actually been on a date. Should she kiss Ginny or would it be too much for a first date? Or should she even come upstairs with the other woman? </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">At that moment Ginny took matters in her own hands, leaned down a bit and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">This was different to the other kisses Willow had shared with women before. All the others had happened during times of war, making them quick, intense, and full of passion. Now they had time, no fight to be fought, and no danger coming their way. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">But as quick as it had started did it end. She looked up at the redheaded auror, feeling a blush creeping over her cheeks. Ginny was smiling at her brightly, her eyes sparkling. „Good night Willow.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Before Willow could react Ginny gave her a quick peck on the lips, turned around and disappeared in the house they had halted in front of. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Huh.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I don‘t know if I can uphold any kind of uploading schedule at the moment. I‘m honestly not feeling too well and when its like this I sometimes just can‘t get myself to do anything. <br/>I have two more chapters left that are already done but after that it will probably take longer. Just please hang in there with me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. You‘ve Got Mail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know it‘s not much but here you go.<br/>It‘s pretty hard for me at the moment to get up and do anything so I‘m happy about uploading this. I hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hey everybody,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">It‘s already really late but I have to tell you something. You won‘t believe what just happened. You remember Ginny, right? I told you about her in my last letter. Well, I guess I was right. She for sure likes women, or men and women. And you know how I know this? I’ve just been on a date with her! And not only that but we kissed! I know that I probably sound like a teenager after their first date but it was amazing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">I really like her. I‘m planning on seeing her again soon. Maybe she‘ll be at the next group meeting with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I‘m just not sure how much to tell Harry about what’s going on because of whatever has happened in their past. Any ideas how to handle that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Oh and before I forget, I asked Dumbledore and he says that it would be finde for you to visit during christmas break if you want. I think we could have a magical christmas - no pun intended. So what do you think? Wanna come to the cool magical castle and experience the wizarding world with me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hope you’re all well.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Love, </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Willow</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">That night Willow couldn’t sleep. Her mind always circled back to the kiss Ginny and her had shared. A smile was plastered on her face. She’d have to be careful or she would really degenerate to a lovesick teenager and she couldn’t do that, especially as soon as the actual teenagers would arrive at Hogwarts in two weeks. At two a.m. Willow finally managed to drift off to sleep, still smiling.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Breakfast was held in the great hall, just like every other day. Even though she hadn’t slept much the previous night, Willow still entered the room with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She wished every colleague a good morning before taking her seat. Hermione, who was always at breakfast before her, no matter how early she woke up, looked at her questioningly. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„What? Can’t a woman be happy around here?“ Willow grabbed a piece of toasted bread and started buttering it. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I’m just curious what has elicited that happiness. Normally you‘re pretty grumpy before you’ve had your breakfast.“ Willow wanted to protest but knew that she was right. She just didn‘t know how to explain her good mood to Hermione without giving away too much. She hadn’t had the time to talk to Ginny, so she didn’t know how much she was allowed to tell. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I just had a very nice day yesterday. I really needed a sunny summer day, with all the grey cloudy days that we’ve had since my arrival.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She took a big bite from the now buttered slice of bread. Up to now she hadn’t noticed how hungry she was. After all, the last meal she had had was a chocolate fudge sundae at Fortescue‘s yesterday afternoon. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She noticed that Hermione looked at her questioningly for another second before shrugging and turning to her own plate. „I guess you’re right, it really was nice to get some sun.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">At that moment the owls fluttered in and dropped today‘s mail on the big wooden table. Most professors received their daily edition of the Daily Prophet, Hermione being one of them. Willow hadn’t gotten around to filling out a subscription form but Hermione was content with sharing her paper every morning. This way Willow could get some know how of the wizarding world and what was going on outside of the castle. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">However, just as she wanted to lean over to read the newspaper from over Hermione‘s shoulder, two envelopes were dropped in her lap. It wasn’t unusual for Willow to get mail from her friends but they always put all their thoughts and responses into one letter. Willow wondered who the second one could be from. In nice handwriting it stated</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Willow Rosenberg</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Scotland </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow was confused. Except for her friends in Sunnydale and her colleagues here at Hogwarts nobody knew of her new post as the DADA professor.  Careful not to rip the envelope she opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Dear Ms. Rosenberg,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">The Ministry of Magic would like to congratulate on your new position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">We were surprised to learn of your existence and the position Albus Dumbledore has offered you. However, due to your American citizenship and lack of proper education we have to assure that you are fit to teach magic. Therefore, we would like you to appear at the Ministry of Magic this Thursday at 9 o‘clock in order to test your competences in the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts. This test will decide whether you are competent to educate students. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Additionally, you will have to apply for a visa, making it possible for you to stay in magical Great Britain while inhabiting your position as a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It will be required for you to register your wand since there seems to be no records about it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">If you can not make it on Thursday please let us know by owl, so another date can be agreed upon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Yours Sincerely,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Margery Fraglecupp</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Undersecretary</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow read the letter twice before folding it back up and putting it in its envelope. She didn’t worry about the qualification examination too much but presenting the ministry with a wand could proof to be interesting. She‘d just have to explain the situation and hope for the best.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Dumbledore stood up and looked at every one of his teachers. He cleared his throat and waited for everyone to quiet down. Then he started to speak: „Good morning to all of you! I hope you enjoyed yesterday‘s nice weather and went out to stock up on some sunshine.“ At that he looked at Willow, his eyes twinkling knowingly. He couldn’t know, right? Willow wasn’t sure. She had already learned from Hermione that Dumbledore often knew more than he let everyone believe. He continued. „I wanted to remind all of you to hand in a list of the books and supplies your students will need this year, so we can send out the owls. Finally, I wish you a pleasant day and again urge you to follow through on writing the supply lists. But for now, let’s enjoy the rest of our breakfast.“ He smiled at everyone before sitting down again and starting a conversation with Minerva about one thing or another.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What do you think will happen at the ministry? Will there be repercussions because of Willow‘s lack of a wand? And how will she have to prove that she is qualified to teach DADA? I‘d be interested to read what you come up with.</p><p>If I‘ve made any mistakes or something isn‘t clear just let me know in the comments. I‘m happy about any kind of feedback.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Bureaucracy - Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally, the new chapter is here. I‘m sorry for the long wait but I‘m really struggling at the moment and I wasn‘t quite sure how to approach the chapter. I hope you like it though.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hey guys,</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">So, you remember how I told you that other wizards use wands over here? Guess what, it seems nobody has told the authorities that I don‘t have one. Today at breakfast I got a letter asking me kindly to come and register my wand. It appears they don‘t have any paperwork about it. Duh. They also questioned my abilities to teach DADA (that’s what they call Defense Against the Dark Arts here apparently) so they want to test me on that. I guess that will be fun.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">On another note, I haven’t heard from Ginny since our date and now I don‘t know what to do. Do you think I should write her? And then, what should I write? Would it be too soon to ask her out again? Or I could just try to find her when I’m at the ministry. She works there after all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Guys I’m really insecure over here. I feel like a high schooler all over again. Some advice would be nice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Hope you’re all well. Oh and Buffy, don‘t you dare get a new best witch friend while I‘m gone!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">I love you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Willow</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The Ministry of Magic wasn’t quite what Willow had expected. Not that she had had any idea about what it might look like but still - she had thought of it similar to all the monotonous government buildings she had seen so far.After stumbling out of the fire place and into the entry hall - she still hadn’t gotten the hang of flooing - she had to take a minute and stare at what was in front of her. It was enormous. The walls were made out of some kind of dark green stone and the ceiling seemed to be miles away, forming a huge dome above. Totally not like those muggle government buildings.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The flashing sound of the fire place behind her announced the arrival of another wizard coming through the floo network so she quickly composed herself and stepped aside, making room for the next person. She patted the grime from the flooing off her clothes and straightened up. Willow looked around again, this time watching out for some kind of registry or help desk. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">A few feet away, on the other side of the hall, there was indeed a small blonde woman sitting behind a desk and watching the crowd move past her with obvious disinterest. As Willow approached the desk, the woman noticed her and offered her a polite smile. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„What can I do for you?“ Her voice sounded like she had said this exact sentence millions of times over the last few decades - probably even more often. Willow handed over the letter she had received a few days earlier and cleared her throat. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„My name is Willow Rosenberg and I’m here to get approved as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.“ At that the old lady looked up to inspect her more closely, her eyes suddenly glittering with curiosity. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So you are the new professor from America. You‘re quite a mystery around here, honey.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper before tapping it with her wand. At this the note folded itself into a little paper plane and started its journey to inform someone of Willow‘s arrival. From the feeling she got off the woman Willow wasn’t quite sure if it was meant for administrative purposes or to start the rumor mill in the offices but frankly she didn‘t care. Sure, she didn’t exactly enjoy people talking behind her back but she had stopped getting upset about it a long time ago. When you‘re an openly lesbian couple in a small town like Sunnydale, caring about all the gossip spread around got old quickly. This messaging system however, seemed to be quite useful, so she decided to ask Ginny about it the next time she saw her. They hadn’t seen each other since their kiss last week but Willow hoped there would be a next time soon. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„If you would follow me please.“ At some point the old lady had gotten up from behind her desk and was now standing right in front of Willow. She was shorter than the redhead had expected. Even with her voluminous curly white hair she was still a full head shorter than her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I will show you to the wand registry and they will help you get to your next appointment from there.“ With those words the woman walked away, keeping a fast pace in spite of her short legs. While following her, Willow contemplated on whether to mention the wand thing but decided against it in the end. She would probably have to go to the registry no matter what to get it all sorted out. This way people would know about it soon enough anyway, even without her cueing in the ministry‘s gossip club first. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">In the elevator the short woman eyed Willow intensely, seemingly searching for something interesting she could tell her friends about her. Even though Willow felt her stares she still refrained from giving the woman a sour look and continued to stare ahead at the elevator doors, begging them to open soon. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The office of the wand registry wasn’t very big. It consisted of a tiny waiting area with two old wooden chairs, a desk, where a secretary noted down your name as well as the reason for your visit, and a door which probably lead to a similarly small room where Willow guessed a tiny, bald guy was sitting behind a desk that had been in the room since the ministry was founded. When stepping through the door and into the dingy waiting area, Willow noted that the tiny woman, who had functioned as her guide through the ministry hallways, hadn’t followed her in but had suddenly disappeared down the hallway - probably on her way to inform everybody who did or didn’t want to know about the American woman, who Dumbledore had employed to teach future generations of wizards and witches.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">As she approached the secretary sitting behind a rather small wooden desk, Willow bemoaned the fact that she would probably be stuck in the ministry for the whole day, dealing with all sorts of bureaucracy. Still, she again searched the pockets of her dark green robes for the letter she had received a few days ago and handed it to the woman. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Hello...“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Name?“, the woman interrupted Willow mid sentence. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Uhm. Willow Rosenberg.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Reason for your visit?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Willow wasn’t quite sure how to start. She hadn’t really thought about how to explain her predicament. Nervosity creeped up her neck. „Well.. You see...“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The woman eyed her, an impatient glint in her eye. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I don’t have a wand.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">A sharp eyebrow shot up in the pointy face of the woman. „I can‘t help you with that. You’ll have to buy one at Olivander‘s in Diagon Alley.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">With that the conversation seemed to be over for the woman, and she went back to reading a magazine she had been skipping through when Willow first arrived. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„You don‘t understand.“ At that point Willow‘s nervosity had changed into a mix of impatience and annoyance. She was well aware of where to purchase a wand if she felt the need to do so - which she didn’t. „I don’t need a wand.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">The woman looked up at her again, clearly angry that Willow kept her from reading her magazine. „So then, why are you here? You don’t have a wand, you don’t need a wand. Are you even a witch?“ This time the woman mustered her more closely, obviously trying to make out if somehow a muggle had managed to find their way into the Ministry of Magic. Willow wasn’t quite sure if there even was a way of physically distinguishing between magical and non-magical people. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">A huff of annoyance slipped from her lips. „I’m here because I‘ve received a letter a few days ago, telling me that I was to be here today in order to register my wand - which I don’t have because I do wandless magic.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">For the first time since Willow had set foot into the room the woman‘s face didn’t portrait a look of annoyance but straight up surprise. „Don’t be ridiculous, girl. That’s impossible. Every wizard and witch has a wand - even if they </span>
  <span class="s2">can</span>
  <span class="s3"> do some wandless magic.“ The woman huffed. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">However, she still handed Willow a form to fill out and gestured for her to sit down, reassuring her that she would be called to meet the official supposed to help her get through this confusion. So Willow sat. And scanned for what information was required for her to give up. Surprisingly, government forms in the British wizarding world didn’t much differ from the ones in the muggle world. The only differences being the questions about her wand. They covered the place of purchase, the material and the core, as well as the length and any prominent features which could help identify it in case of loss or theft. All of those Willow had to skip. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">After finishing filling out the form Willow handed it back to the secretary and sat down again. And so the waiting started. After some time she regretted not bringing a book with her. Even though she was certain that there was no one currently in the office besides the official, and she being the only one seated in the tiny waiting area, her name wasn’t called. Seemingly, visits to government agencies in the wizarding world were no different to those everywhere else after all. So she played the waiting game. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">First she tried to go over the few lesson plans she had already come up with for the following semester but she didn‘t get far since she needed her books to clarify the things she was unsure about. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Next, she tried to remember if there were any magical ingredients she had run out of recently and needed to restock. However, since coming to Hogwarts she had had almost no need for all the protection charms she had used on a daily basis in Sunnydale, so there wasn‘t much to ponder. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Finally, Ginny came to her mind. Every time she thought about her, tiny butterflies seemed to hatch in her stomach. She had fallen hard for the small redhead and she knew it, but it didn‘t bother her in the least. After Tara it had been hard to open up her heart to others but with Ginny she didn‘t even have to try - it had just happened. And after their kiss she had a feeling that Ginny‘s feelings were mutual. She had to smile at that.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">It seemed to her that hours had passed when finally she heard her name and the secretary gestured her to step through the wooden door into the office. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">As Willow did so she wasn’t surprised of what she saw. The office was indeed tiny and cramped, and the man awaiting her did seem rather small behind his old desk. His bald head reflected the dim light that came from the candles placed strategically in the room, to light it up as much as possible. His desk was flooded with paperwork, making Willow wonder if he even knew what he was looking at all day long. As Willow approached him the man stood up to shake her hand. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Miss Rosenberg, I have already been told to expect a visit from you. My name‘s Maverick Applebee.“ With this he gestured for her to sit down in the wobbly wooden chair across from his desk. „I‘ve been reading through the form you filled out and I‘m curious. Why didn’t you fill out the data about your wand? After all, you are here to register it.“ He seemed to be a nice guy so Willow didn’t want to snap at him. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">She tried her best but couldn’t suppress the sharp undertone in her voice when she answered. „The thing is, Mr. Applebee, that I don‘t use a wand. I don‘t need it to do magic.“ Willow anticipated a reaction similar to the one his secretary had had but it never came. He just nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Interesting.“ He started mumbling while scribbling something on the form Willow had just filled out. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„So did you obtain one when you were younger or have you never used one?“ He looked at her with a hint of curiosity. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„I’ve never needed one.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">„Interesting.“ He again started scribbling something on the form. </span>
  <span class="s3">„Do you intend on purchasing a wand in the future?“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">That Willow had to think about. Did she want to own a wand? Somehow she was curious about what it would be like. But still, it had taken her long enough to manage the magics she could do, no reason to find out how Dark Willow would react to using a wand. „I don’t think so.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">Mr. Applebee nodded. „I see. In that case I don’t think there is anything else I need from you at the moment Miss Rosenberg. Whether or not you use a wand is outside of my jurisdiction. If you do, however, decide to purchase a wand after all, it won’t be necessary for you to come back. All informations about new wands purchased in the country are automatically added to our files.“ </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s3">With that he stood and put out his hand for Willow to shake. Well, that was less complicated than Willow had thought.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I hope you enjoyed this bit. I decided to split Willow‘s visit to the ministry so that you can get the new chapter sooner rather than later. I don‘t know when the next chapter will be up.</p><p>I really wasn‘t sure about the reaction Willow should receive at the office for wand registration but decided to go with this. However, I do plan some more conflict in the next chapter.</p><p>So how do you think will the ministry try to check whether or not Willow is fit to teach DADA? I‘m looking forward to your theories.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Bureaucracy- Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here I am again with another chapter. So sorry for the long wait!<br/>The past few months have been extremely hectic and crazy. I had a major exam which forced me to study about eight hours each day, not leaving much time to do anything else. And additionally this chapter gave me quite the headache. Right from the beginning I knew exactly what to put in it but I had no clue how to word it. Also, I wasn’t sure whether to split it again or give you one enormous chapter. I hope I made the right call by splitting it once again.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Just like she had been told, there was already someone - or rather something - waiting for her once she exited the wand registry office.<br/>
Next to the head of Mr. Applebee‘s assistant hovered a small paper airplane, swaying in a non-existent breeze. Willow really had to ask Harry or Ginny to show her the spell. Though, she didn’t know how she would adapt the wand magic do her magics. Maybe Dumbledore knew of a way. Otherwise she would once more retreat to Hogwarts‘ library and start another research session. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate with creating lesson plans and completing the list of items her students would need in the upcoming year.</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The little paper plane started out the door, leading the way back to the elevator Willow had used before. She wondered briefly how many floors the Ministry of Magic consisted of, when the doors to the elevator cabin opened, revealing a familiar face. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Ginny!“ Willow exclaimed excitedly. Her eyebrows had risen up due to the welcome surprise of seeing the other redhead. The unspeakable gestured her inside with a grin that split her entire face in half. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Surprise!“ Willow was still contemplating how to greet her, unsure of what would be appropriate after one, in Willow‘s opinion amazing, date, when Ginny just caught her in a long and firm hug. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow could have sworn that she heard Ginny inhale deeply, her nose buried in her hair, but wasn’t sure if it was just wishful thinking. Last time they met, Ginny had held her hand and even initiated the most wonderful kiss Willow could remember ever sharing but the insecurities accompanying her since high school kept the hope in her from bubbling up too high. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Ginny let her go and took a small step back, eyeing her curiously. „So how was your appointment with Mr. Applebee?“ Willow was confused. She couldn’t remember telling Ginny about today. Especially since they hadn’t had time to talk the last week. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Ginny seemed to guess what was on her mind and her face turned a deep crimson color. She averted her eyes to the floor when she talked next: „I may have overheard some people talking about you in the hallway. I thought that maybe you could use some company.“</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">A warm feeling spread in Willow‘s stomach. Ginny had been asking around about her and wanted to spend time together. She exhaled one more deep breath before she tentatively threaded her fingers with Ginnys.<br/>
„It wasn’t even half as bad as I thought it would be. He was surprised because of my lack of a wand but that was about it. The worst really was waiting forever while being pointedly ignored by his nosy secretary.“ Willow smiled thinking that she wouldn’t have to sit alone while waiting for her next appointment. However, no such luck.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">When the elevator came to a halt at their floor a ministry official was already awaiting Willow. Ginny quickly slipped her hand from Willow‘s while greeting the man called Monty. He nodded in Ginnys direction before gesturing for Willow to follow him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He lead them through a long corridor, turning his head a bit to speak to Willow directly: „Since Hogwarts has a history of employing all kinds of people as Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and you have been unknown to the wizarding society up to now, the wizengamot has taken it upon itself to test your knowledge and competence concerning the subject. The following test will consist of two parts: a theoretical quiz and a practical part where you will have to prove your ability to defend yourself against three previously selected creatures. Do you understand?“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow felt the no-nonsense vibes he emitted and kept her answer to a simple „Yes.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He turned his head in the other direction, this time addressing Ginny: „Ginny, you’ll be able to observe the whole procedure from the gallery if you want to wait for Miss Rosenberg.“</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">They came to a halt in front of a big, black door which didn’t look too friendly. Monty turned around to face Willow. „I will go in now and announce your arrival. Once the wizengamot is ready to see you I will come back and call you in.“ His eyes suddenly filled with sympathy. „Good luck.“ Then he turned on his heels and vanished into the next room. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow turned to Ginny, nervosity all of a sudden growing rapidly within her. She had studied for this, read every book she could find and even asked Hermione for additional information. It had felt good to to fall back onto good old research. How she had missed it. And still she started to feel like this little nerdy high schooler she hadn’t been in years. Insecure and giddy. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Ginny seemed to read all that from her face since she just enveloped her in another tight hug before taking both of her hands and squeezing them lightly. Willow tried to suppress all the anxiety building within her, caused by the upcoming test just as much as by the beautiful woman standing right in front of her. Ginny leaned forward and planted a lingering kiss on Willow‘s waiting lips before smiling crookedly. „You can do this. I‘ll be in the room too if you need something.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">With another squeeze of Willow‘s hands she disappeared through a smaller brown door close by. Then she was alone.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Contrary to her worries, Willow didn’t have to wait for long. Not even a full minute had passed when the big black door, through which Monty had disappeared earlier, opened again, and said official gestured for her to come through. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow quickly straightened her robes, making sure there was no residue dirt from the flooing, before entering the room with her head held high. </span>
  <span class="s2">She didn’t know much about the ministry of magic but from Harry‘s stories she had come to the conclusion that the wizengamot was pretty high up in the hierarchy and she didn’t want to appear weak or intimidated. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">If she had learned one thing from her high school experience, it was that you should never show fear in front of people that think themselves more powerful than yourself. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The room before her looked vast and frightening with its high stands surrounding the single small desk and chair in the middle. The stands in front of the desk were filled with numerous wizards and witches in formal dressrobes, all looking in her direction with a variety of expressions on their faces. Some were curious, others even smiled encouragingly, but most of them held a grim look in their eyes that didn’t appear too promising. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow followed Monty into the middle of the room where he gestured for her to stand next to the single desk and wait to be addressed directly. She dared a quick glance around and noticed Ginny sitting to her right, grinning and waving down to her but other than that not many spectators had found their way into this room to seize up the new DADA professor.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">A sudden silence fell over the room as a member of the wizengamot cleared his throat before addressing her. „Miss Willow Rosenberg. You are here today in order to demonstrate your ability to teach Britain‘s finest and brightest witches and wizards in the craft of Defense Against the Dark Arts. For this you will have to undergo a test comprised of two parts. First you will be examined on your theoretical knowledge of the subject, before moving on to proofing your capability by facing three dark creatures and defeating them. Do you understand those terms?“</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow gulped down the lump in her throat before answering the man with a strong and clear tone in her voice. „Yes, I understand.“</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Well, then, before we can begin, would you be so kind and present your wand to Mister Montgomery to your left. He will examine it while you take the theoretical part of the examination in order to make sure that everything is alright for the practical demonstration of your power.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow‘s nerves were starting to turn into annoyance rather quick. Monty approached her, looking at her quizzically due to her seeming unwillingness to hand over her wand. The members of the wizengamot started to whisper, obviously confused by the turn of the events. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She took a deep breath. The last thing she wanted to do right now was blow her chances of becoming a teacher at Hogwarts by her temper exploding in the faces of the people deciding her fate. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Another deep breath. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„I am sorry but I cannot hand over a wand.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">More whispering. „And why is that, Miss Rosenberg?“ The man started to sound annoyed with her reluctance. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„I cannot hand over a wand because I do not own one. I have been practicing wandless magic from the beginning.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Before she had even finished speaking, the quiet whispers turned into loud outcries of protest. „She cannot be serious! How shall she teach our children without a wand?“ An especially shrill sounding woman could be heard exclaiming her disbelief.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Quiet!“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The witches and wizards of the wizengamot were so outraged that no one even seemed to hear the order. <br/>
</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Quiet!“ The second shout was accompanied by the loud thump of a hammer that filled the whole room. This time silence settled again. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Miss Rosenberg, do you really want to tell us that you have never owned a wand?“. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Yes, sir.“ Willow didn’t know what would happen next. She had been through this once today already and had hoped that Mr. Applebee‘s interested and friendly demeanor would also be shared by the other ministry officials. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Judging by the faces staring down on her she wouldn’t be so lucky. „How do you intend to teach young witches and wizards in Defense Against the Dark Arts when you do not own a wand yourself?“ It was the concerned voice of an older woman sitting further back. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She didn’t even wait for an answer before continuing: „I am glad that we decided to examine this woman. Dumbledore‘s choice in teachers has always been questionable but this. I cannot even think of the damage she could have done to the fresh young minds that would have been entrusted to her the coming school year.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Again the whispers started, most appearing to agree with her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow‘s annoyance started to grow in her stomach. She had accomplished so much the last few years which all those people had no idea about. Sure, they just wanted to be certain that Hogwarts‘ students learned as much as they could but that didn’t give them the right to treat her that way. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She took another deep breath and squared her shoulders. Then she looked each and every member of the jury in the eyes before she started speaking: „I know how my lack of a wand must sound to you. But don’t I at least deserve a chance to show my powers before you judge me so harshly? There is no harm in me demonstrating my knowledge of the subject. And if you still don‘t agree with my methods then so be it.“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Silence fell again. And this time all eyes were trained on the man that had laid out the structure of the exam for her. It seemed had the last word in all of it. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He looked at her, contemplating what to do next, his mouth drawn into a thin line. Willow thought she was under his strict gaze for hours when he finally opened his mouth and announced his decision. „I believe everybody should have the chance to prove themselves. And as miss Rosenberg has stated so eloquently, there is no harm in her trying.“ He made sure to stress the last word. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">It was clear to everyone that he didn’t think that she had any chance to even remotely pass the exam. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow grit her teeth but refrained from talking back to him. She was there to show them that she could teach children, not be one herself. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">„Miss Rosenberg, for the first part of the examination, please take a seat at the chair next to you. You will have exactly two hours to complete the tasks provided for you. Once the time is up, a third party will correct your answers while you face the second part. The clock will start as soon as you pick up the quill.“</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And so Willow sat down and started answering question after question. She had never been unprepared for a test in her entire life and this one wouldn’t be an exception. She had put a lot of hours into studying for this and it proved to have been worth it. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She answered questions about pixies and trolls, and debated the ethics of using the Imperius Curse on others. By the time she lay down the quill she was sure that she had passed with flying colours. And a quick look at the clock showed her that she still had an hour left. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The wizengamot seemed rather unimpressed by the way she raced trough the test but accepted her answer sheets nonetheless when she handed them over to Monty. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Willow hoped that the practical part would prove just as easy.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what do you think? As always, any kind of feedback is welcome ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A Little Too Easy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, this took a while to get out. And I apologize to all of you for that.<br/>I just had a lot on my plate over the last... EIGHT months! Oh my, that's a really long time to wait for a chapter. But I had to finally finish my BA thesis to get on with my studies, and everything else I wrote just started to feel like another chore. So I let this story sit for a bit and decided to come back to it when I was finished with my thesis. Which was eight months later. Oh god.<br/>Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter ^.^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Willow was asked to stand back against one of the walls while Monty, with a smooth wand movement, quickly vanished the chair and table she had been sitting at just moments ago. She let her gaze wander over the faces of the members of the Wizengamot and was mainly confronted with smirks of superiority and the occasional pitying look. None of them seemed to believe that she would be able to do this. Even Monty had a glint of doubt in his eyes. Self doubt slowly crept up in the pit of her stomach, turning her insides this way and that. Maybe they were right. Just like the bullies in high school, who tripped her in the halls and called her ugly names. Maybe she shouldn’t have followed Dumbledore‘s invitation. After all, he was just an old, bearded man. What did he know? Right now, she could be home, helping rebuild the council. Helping Buffy train all the new slayers that came into their powers.</p>
<p>No. Buffy. Buffy was the one who had shown her that all those bullies were wrong. Buffy was the one who helped her overcome all this. And she had slain more monsters on Buffy‘s side than all those snobby people of the Wizengamot could even dream of. Who were they to judge her like that when they had not the slightest idea of what she had been through? Who were they to look at her like she wasn‘t worth their time? She was going to show them. She squared her shoulders and stood tall, once again looking up at their faces. But this time she let her gaze wander further, until she met brown eyes that did not mirror all the others. Those eyes showed hope and confidence in her actions, and the knot in Willow‘s stomach dissipated fully. She shot Ginny a thankful smile, hoping she would understand the meaning, before turning back to the Wizengamot.</p>
<p>During her inner turmoil, the room had been properly warded. The gallery was now separated from her through a thin, almost translucent, glistening veil, protecting the Wizengamot and the spectators from the monsters Willow would have to slay in order to pass the practical exam. Additionally, grim looking ministry officials were posted next to all the doors, ready to strike anything that would want to get out of the room without authorization. Willow was wondering about the spell used to conjure the protection shield when someone cleared their throat right next to her, making her jump a little. She hoped that it was subtle enough that her examiners hadn’t caught it. Showing any kind of weakness would only encourage them further in their behavior. She turned and looked straight at Monty, who gestured for her to stand in the center of the room, where a small symbol marked the place she should take. „They are ready for you now.“ Willow tried to look more confident than she ever had before as she strode to the designated spot. The looks on the faces of the members of the Wizengamot hadn’t changed all the while. She was still met with pity and superior smirks, but she did her best not to let it get to her again. It wouldn’t help the slightest if she started doubting herself once more. She forced all the negative feelings down and far away from her conscious mind, promising herself to start working on her insecurities in the near future.</p>
<p>„Miss Rosenberg. We are now ready to continue with your examination. For this, you will be presented with three dark creatures, which you will have to defeat, in order to pass,“ the chairman addressed her again. „As you have probably noticed, the room has been warded to assure the safety of everyone, in case you won‘t manage to defeat the creatures you will be presented.“ The tone in his voice left no doubt, that he was sure of her failure and the certain necessity of the applied security measures. „If you feel that you are unable to defeat one of the dark creatures, you can let us know and the exam will be stopped. In this case you will fail. Do you understand?“ „Yes, I do.“ „In this case, the practical part of the exam shall begin.“</p>
<p>Slowly one of the guarded doors opened and a man entered, an old and scruffy looking wooden box levitating in front of him. He placed it a few feet away from Willow before turning around and disappearing through the door he had come from. Willow was confused. Was she supposed to open the box?</p>
<p>She was just about to take a step in its direction when movement could be heard from within. The top started to shake as if something was trying to force its way out before the lock gave in and the box opened with a loud bang. Silence. First there was no movement. Neither from the box nor the spectators. Total silence had fallen over the room.</p>
<p>Then a white hand appeared. And another. Followed by an equally white head with raven black hair. Willow couldn’t believe it. She just couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Was it? There was no way in hell this could happen. She took a step back. She had already defeated her. There was no way she could be back. Blood was rushing in her ears when she saw the all too familiar smirk in the face she knew so well. Impossible. How? It couldn’t be. She was sealed away, and the key thrown out. No way she could have escaped.</p>
<p>A sharp intake of breath from the gallery helped her get back to reality. The spectators in the room were murmuring nervously in hushed tones, confusion written on their faces. None of them had expected a black haired, dark veined, replica of one Willow Rosenberg to climb out of the box. Still, there she stood, smeared with blood and an evil glint in her eyes.</p>
<p>Willow had to think fast. By the expressions on the faces of the members of the Wizengamot, they hadn’t expected this. So there was no way this was really her dark alter ego. After all, they had planned this test themselves. But what was it? It had climbed out of this rather big box but it wasn‘t big enough to fit a grown woman into it. This meant that it had to have the ability to change its form and size. What did she know that could alter its appearance to that degree? And what would know and profit from taking this form? Willow knew that she had read about this creature before, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She needed time to think but she didn’t have any. What can change forms and has some kind of insight into its opponent‘s head? It just wouldn‘t come to her.</p>
<p>Willow gulped as dark Willow started to approach her slowly. She felt fear creep up on her. Again, her insides turned into knots. Fear! That’s it. That was the missing piece she had overlooked. This thing provoked fear in her!</p>
<p>Willow had never been this relieved to be afraid. She knew what it was, and a boggart really wasn’t that hard to defeat. After all, children at Hogwarts were taught about them in year three.</p>
<p>She closed her eyes and concentrated. Focusing on the magical energy emitted from all the objects around her, she borrowed some of their power. The next part was the tricky one. She had to make her other self funny to look at. She reached out with her magics and enveloped dark Willow in it, starting to envision what she wanted to see when opening her eyes. The boggart tried to fight her at first, thrashing at the strands of magic around it, but soon accepted its fate and stood still - wide black eyes searching for a non-existing way out. She tugged on the strands of magic and used them to her liking, helping her reform the boggart in front of her according to the mental image she had conjured before her inner eye.</p>
<p>That's when Willow knew she had done it. The Wizengamot watched the whole process quietly. Some seemed surprised to notice that this little woman in front of them had actually managed to change the creature she was forced to face at all.</p>
<p>Within seconds she was done, and not to toot her own horn, but she thought she had done brilliantly. Giles would have been very proud of her, if she could say so. Dark Willow was still standing there but instead of her usual black leathery attire she now wore a frilly bright pink dress and sported the pigtails to go with it.</p>
<p>Though none of her audience seemed to deem it funny enough to outright laugh, Willow could not help herself and had to let out a slight giggle. And that was all it needed. The boggart collapsed into itself, ridding the creature of its current form.</p>
<p>At one point the man who had brought the box must have reappeared without her noticing, since he suddenly stood right next to it and, with a flick of his wand, guided the creature back into its wooden prison. He levitated the box out of the room as unceremoniously as he had brought it in. One creature done, two to go.</p>
<p>When the second creature was brought out, Willow could not stop herself from laughing. This would be an easy one, even though she hadn‘t practiced how to rid herself of of one of them for this day.</p>
<p>The vampire strained against its constraints when it was dragged out. Dark eyes with a feral look in them focused on Willow when it heard her laughter. Its whole stance radiated anger and more importantly - hunger. The Wizengamot must have starved the creature to make it more desperate and willing to attack. But that was only to Willow’s advantage. A hungry vampire tends to blow all caution to the wind and no longer minds its surroundings. That's why it was very curious when, in its immense hunger, the vampire didn't even glance at the man who escorted it. Maybe he had some sort of protection charm placed on himself. She would have to do some research and find out if something like this existed. If it did, it would help Buffy and her fellow slayers immensely.</p>
<p>The vampire did have the appearance of a man, with the beard and the fringy short hair. Though, its thirst had stripped every last bit of humanity from it. Willow thought about Angel and Spike, and what could have become of this being in front of her if it hadn't been captured and almost starved to death. The life it might have had. The life Spike could have had.</p>
<p>The moment passed as quickly as it had come once the vampire was released from its restraints and allowed to jump her. Or at least it tried. It crouched down ready to attack but failed to move from its position in the middle of the room.</p>
<p>Its features distorted into an even uglier grimace as it struggled to regain its movement. Willow noticed how weak it was by the lack of force it used to escape her spell. Meanwhile, she looked around the room for something she could use as a weapon. She didn't want this creature to suffer any longer than it already had. She abhorred what the Wizengamot had done to it, just for her to prove herself.</p>
<p>There. A quick hand movement was all she needed to rip off a piece of the wooden railing that separated her from the almighty members of the Wizengamot. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying in the direction of the still struggling vampire and pierced its heart. Ashes were all that were left afterwards.</p>
<p>Perhaps she was a bit cocky after that. After all, she had rid herself of the first two creatures rather quickly. And maybe, looking back, that was a mistake. She did wonder when the next monster wasn't just brought out right after she had killed the vampire. And she got a bit sceptical when instead three aurors came in and started to strengthen the wards separating the arena, which the place was in Willows eyes, from the audience and the Wizengamot. That was curious. But she was strong. She had defeated so much evil in this world. What could one more creature do to her?</p>
<p>Her eyes started to search for Ginny in the gallery and found her quickly. She smiled a self confident smile up at the woman when she felt it. An incredibly piercing cold started to creep up her back. And suddenly all she felt was pain.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have to confess that I'm not fully happy with this chapter. But what do you think? Do you have any idea what the last creature will be?<br/>I hope to get the next chapter up within a month but I'm not making any promises.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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